What DO you DO for... Monks?

[gamecat]

I throw the multiclassing restrictions out the window, as well as allow monks to apply the higher of their Strength and Wisdom modifiers or Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers to opposed combat checks, such as tripping, disarming, etc.

 

[Greg K]

In my current campaign, monks are replaced with a class that looks like a cross between the OA Shaman and the Paladin (Aura of Courage, Divine Grace, Smite Evil, Paladin Spell List), but monk's unarmed AC

 

[Psion]

I lose the "no multiclassing" rule and allow the feats from Beyond Monks.

Nothing else is needed AFAIAC.

 

[Quartz]

In the past, where multiclassing is encouraged, I've used monk levels to represent inner discipline. Most lawful characters can gain much from 2-4 levels of Monk.

Just look what an armoured Fighter 4 / Monk 3 gains over a Fighter 7, particularly if you allow extra feats: Improved Grapple, Combat Reflexes (a sword-and-boarder might take Deflect Arrows), Evasion (when out of armour - like when you're caught napping), Still Mind. Note that the normal prerequisites for feats are not necessary. And for a 4th Monk level, your fists become +1 equivalent - just the thing for that barroom brawl.

 

[Kwitchit]

I let Monks spend money to enchant their fists (actually it's a sacrifice, in the same way as the OA Samurai's Ancestral Daisho). I give it the background of a magical martial-arts style, such as "Glacier Fist" (frost), "Dragon Slaying Blow" (dragonbane) or even "Decapitating Open-Hand Strike" (vorpal).

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

My friend came up with an idea to make the monk's speed and flurry synergize -- let them get their flurry attacks even on a standard action attack! They take the penalty, if there is one, and viola! Long move and 2 or 3 attacks. Possibly cheesy with spring attack, especially if fighting from a fair height with high jump ranks. ^_^ And, woe unto the person who draws a readied attack from the monk! Was actually thinking about combining his houserule with Serpent Strike from Eberron to get 2-3 attacks at double damage by setting my spear against a charge, but it was too feat intensive.

Seeing as how this was kinda powerful, I thought of another idea. Let characters with 60' or greater speed move 10' w/ a "5 foot step", 15 feet w/ speed 90+, and so on. It was originally to help the scout, but it could help monk a lot, too. He and I both had the same thought about this idea: it seems like it could become broken, but we're not sure how. Best I could come up with was an enlarged monk with a reach weapon being able to full attack and put 30' between him and the enemy afterwards. And that'd be at near-epic levels.

 

[Malhost Zormaeril]

Should be called something like Flying Kick or whatnot, though

Me, I just allow the fighting styles from OA, UA or whatever other sources include them. No one's ever actually played a monk in my campaign, though, so I don't know if any other changes should be made.

OA had a Flying Kick Martial Arts feat, which I thought was pretty nifty. It allowed one to do double damage on a charge with an unarmed attack, like lances. Anyway, it could have a crazy Tai Chi name, like The Groundhog Leaves its Burrow, or somesuch.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Anyway, it could have a crazy Tai Chi name, like The Groundhog Leaves its Burrow, or somesuch.

And that's half the fun of playing a Monk; you just have to come up with funny names for everything... and then use them absolutely seriously. It'll drive the rest of your group nuts.

 

[IndyPendant]

When I make changes to classes, I try to keep those changes minimal for two reasons: 1) they're easy to describe and easy for my players to understand, and 2) it's harder to screw up that way.

That having been said, monks have been a challenge. They're clearly underpowered--but why? I can think of two primary reasons: their M.A.D., and that !%#!@@@^!...err, that %$!!*(*!!#&...*ahem*, that ^$%$%*!(@

--Hrm. Can't seem to say it without cursing. *takes a deep breath* The. Amulet. Of. Natural. Attacks.

There. Got it out.

What an incredibly moronic item. It's like WotC deliberately decided to bend monks over and ram it up. The Amulet of Natural Attacks 1) costs THREE TIMES (!!!) what any other weapon in the game would cost, 2) can only be enchanted with +1 to +5, no special abilities, and 3) takes up a body slot that no other weapon has to, and that is shared by no less than THREE OTHER critically important monk items (Amulet of Natural Armour, Amulet of Health, and Periapt of Wisdom).

What have I done for monks? Three things:

Monks being unable to raise their monk level once they take levels in another class is a needlessly limiting, stupid rule, and has been removed.

Every 3 class levels, the monk may increase any one ability score by +1. This increase is identical to—but in addition to—the ability score increase that all characters gain every four levels.

The Amulet of Mighty Fists has been replaced by a Vest of Unarmed Strikes as a standard SRD magic item. The Vest is treated in all cases the same, except that it only affects Unarmed Strikes, it can be enchanted the same way a melee weapon would (including such enhancements as Defending, Holy, etc), and it costs the same as a weapon would cost for those enchantments (instead of three times!!! the cost).

 

[Crashy75]

ToB Baby!!!